Cocktail Table Arcade Build

[@ComputerClan]

Awesome build. Thanks for having me in the episode. : )

[@Resseguie]

This is great. I've been keeping my eye open for a vintage cocktail table arcade, but I may just go ahead and build one.

[@TheGeekPub]

You should! It's my favorite arcade that I own now.

[@gafakyusef6201]

I ended up building my own using a Class of 1981 board. Great project!

[@matttrain3318]

Thanks, @TheGeekPub! Bought your plans, parts, etc. Put together an amazing table for my girlfriend. She's wanted a Ms PacMan for a long time. Nostalgia from her days of going to Pizza Hut and playing as a child. It turned out REALLY well (and gave me an excuse to buy some new tools). A couple of modifications for anyone interested. The USB speakers were no longer available, so I ended up using some BOSS B653 car speakers and a Kinter K3118. For the monitor I had read that the Dell 2007FPB 20 inch was a great monitor for an application like this. Bought one on ebay. Otherwise followed the plans closely. The one mistake I may fix is I should have used the glass as the outline for the top rather than the printed plans. The glass I bought is sized a bit bigger. That's on me for not measuring twice. 🙂 Girlfriend loves it. You made me a hero!

[@the13th]

SO awesome to see a cocktail cabinet build, so few people do these and theyre glorious

[@mikemurphy8714]

Awesome build! But yes, I would definitely suggest a mask while cutting MDF. I want to watch your videos for years to come lol

[@TheGeekPub]

We finally built the cocktail table arcade cabinet that so many have asked for. I don't know why I waited this long! It is most definitely my favorite arcade build ever! There will definitely be a part two to this video. There are many things I want to improve and add still. RGB lighting for the control panels. I also want to really hug that monitor up against the glass.

[@Renville80]

The speaker holes look a bit unfinished.

[@TheGeekPub]

Yes. I drilled them after painting. On my list too. ;-)

[@wild-radio7373]

Thank you SO MUCH!!❤❤❤

[@fourmula4812]

if i made one i would like to have galaxian arkanoid so i need a spinner for ark

[@mortensteen]

Awesome! And I like the no-nonsense intro. :D No "here's what we're doing today", just straight into the assembly. :D

[@tonanornottonull7132]

I love how engineered this is (probably more than the games aspect! haha). That's the thing building stuff like this -- there has to be some thought about how to maintain the thing as well as open opportunities to update and expand on its capabilities.

[@Fleshyfletch]

Bro, i've been looking for something exactly like this for Months thanks

[@mcraft1]

Wow wonderful ❤

[@MrArrylay]

Wow, awesome work Mike! The colors are great, I like how the speakers are setup for each player on either side of the cabinet, sweet build.

[@cedarstuff]

Nice build! Would definitely recommend wearing a mask - that MDF dust is some nasty stuff!

[@safetypolice3956]

You are hereby deputized as part of the KZbin Safety Police! But don't think that means you're liked. Quite the opposite is true of you!

[@funtyes1970]

@@safetypolice3956 that funny

[@frotz661]

Excellent presentation! Just from this video, I see that most (all?) of my concerns are satisfied. I'll be buying the plans shortly.

[@aleksandrbmelnikov]

I like your build quality. It's not my personal choice of materials, but we still employ the same basic technique. Small correction to the video: People, if you don't own a brad (pin) nailer, then stop and go get one. Your work will turn out much better and stronger, than if you build without it. Read and follow the safety instructions. Never hold your hand, on other side, in the path of nailer. Measure and create a mock display screen from thin MDF and scrap wood, to build around, so you don't risk damaging the real one. Good luck and happy building.

[@pupaepedorra]

Cocktail arcade machines have always been my favourite, i remember playing Galaga on an old Cocktail machine back in the mid 90's, they were also very popular with card video games.

[@zalo3479]

You sir are a true craftsman! Great job!

[@braedan51]

Great video & outstanding build!

[@TheGeekPub]

Thanks for watching

[@DcKayb]

Excellent build, man. Well done.

[@TheGeekPub]

Glad you like it!

[@ChozoSR388]

That's a gorgeous machine, truly. If I were to do this, though, I'd have to go classic; Walnut veneer and black T molding :)

[@glorfification]

Very nice! If I made one, I think I would cover it in woodgrain!

[@martinhodge394]

You are an amazing craftsman!

[@HebaruSan]

Nice, hope you collect lots of quarters from your house guests

[@SelfIndulgentGamer]

Such a high quality product. One day I will build my own. Ive been saying that for about ten years :D

[@ScottPlude]

After less than one minute, I am already stopping the video... Not trying to be mean! I just saw the straight edge and circular saw and now I need to run to home depot to get the same stuff! I know how heavy the wood can be pain in full sheets. That is gonna make my day so much more enjoyable. (will be back shortly to finish watching :) )

[@TheGeekPub]

HAHAHAHAH!!!

[@RadDadisRad]

Buckets of hot water work wonders for keeping rattle can pressure high, I let cans sit for about 1/2 hour before use. Also I like to duck tape a sawzall blade to the can and use a sawzall to shake my spray paint.

[@akhurash]

That’s a nifty tick about the sawzall! Thanks for sharing.

[@djgoliath59]

Superbe réalisation,bravo j'adore!

[@anti_honey]

11:33 beautiful transition!!

[@joakimgewert1002]

really nice and clean build, and also good furnishing decoration

[@jacksonmcquade7888]

Been waiting for a good quality cocktail cab tutorial video, nice 👍

[@magicalsleeper]

Love your arcade builds. Your bar top video helped me build mine back in the day.

[@vhenriquez240277]

Awesome work. What about connecting two monitors, one for each player in parallel to allow two player games.

[@RetroWK]

Great job. Looks awesome!

[@TheGeekPub]

Thanks!

[@DanielJBarnett]

You make this look easy! Wish I had your skills

[@74bobby]

This looks Amazing

[@yourdailylog3832]

Nice! This one Italian restaurant I used to go-to had an arkanoid and a pacman table. This is hella awesome 😎

[@PnPPinball]

Wow, really cool project!

[@darkman042]

I had known about your channel for a while, and I follow your brother, the 8 bit Guy… but holy crap! Your store is awesome!!

[@TB-nf6bs]

I was thinking maybe making a nice gasket for the areas under and around the glass to keep dust out! Hey this is awesome!

[@TheGeekPub]

I am planning a follow up to this video in the next week or two. Several things we're going to improve. This is one of them!

[@stevent7944]

Thats so cool. Great job!

[@a3s1r1986]

I came to this channel from watching the 8 bit Guy making his Apple 1 to see how the case turned out. Consider me subbed.

[@pkf4124]

Nicely done.

[@dennisneo1608]

I could watch Mike make arcade cabinets all day. Sometimes David doesn't look too comfortable on camera.

[@notmuch_23]

which is _weird_ because he has his own popular KZbin channel...

[@TheLittlemilkyway]

Great job, I used to make cocktail table arcade machines as living, but for people who aren't clued up on raspberry pi, i would recommend an emulator kit with a pre made wiring loom. I would also do a deeper recess on the Monitor as it makes a huge difference with viewing the screen

[@TheGeekPub]

You are so right on the monitor. I plan to do a follow up video on this and sink the monitor deeper, as well as put some black trim in there to make it look better.

[@TheLittlemilkyway]

@@TheGeekPub we just used to sand down the mdf and spray it black, was a lot cheaper and less time consuming than using black trimming. We also ran everything through the power supply without the need for of an extension lead, really helped when it came to cable management

[@NBNracing]

I love the videos. Try the Rust-Oleum professional paint, it seems to be a much better product, higher volume spray, better coverage, and faster dry times.

[@Gumby1974]

Great stuff, thanks!

[@Str8Spi3]

Looks amazing. I’ve been wanting one of these.

[@jayhays8267]

Nice that the cocktail table has button layouts for more than just pac-man and donkey kong. I'd like to see ya try two player street fighter II !

[@VulpisFoxfire]

I wonder how swappable the panels are for, say, a rig for Centipede/Missle Command.

[@robertorijos3486]

Love it it looks awsome what image or can you share if its possible the raspberry pi image you use from your builds especially for that beautiful cocktail arcade once again awesome work

[@fatbutfly]

Wow nice work!

[@robertchamberlin2362]

So Awesome Thank you for this!

[@vadermasktruth]

This is like listening to the 8 Bit Guy's brother! I love it!

[@TheGeekPub]

I am his brother.

[@RetroRewind77]

That’s amazing dude

[@pudsrus2]

Smart bloke👍

[@charlesgi5058]

Man this came out awesome! That monitor looks great from all angles too, is it IPS? Just building this must have taken so long, but to put all the plans together too really goes above and beyond!

[@TheGeekPub]

It is! And thank you! It takes about 3 weeks to do a full build including plans and everything else. That's why arcade builds are so far apart.

[@gonzalocaballero8809]

Una obra de arte excelente!!!!

[@RudysRetroIntel]

Wow! Better than the original units! Will you do a video on the setup of the Pi and software?

[@Reed-Publications]

Awesome job, Mike!

[@Allen-by6ci]

Beautiful machine

[@ShiggitayMediaProductions]

Watching cabinet builds is always therapeutic for me. I have a 3/4 size standing arcade cabinet my mom and I built from a MicroCenter kit (2p cab). How do 2 player games (like a side scrolling beat em up) work if you're looking at the screen from top down ? I know such a build isn't really meant for that, but since you have a Raspberry Pi in there with RetroPie or something like that running it all I know it can run a beat em up just fine. Thanks for this video!

[@TheGeekPub]

You have to tell MAME that you are in cocktail table mode. Then it turns the screen upside down for each player. Of course, the game itself has to have cocktail table support. ;-)

[@ShiggitayMediaProductions]

@@TheGeekPub Oh interesting... I've never used cocktail table mode on MAME, so I was unaware such a setting existed! Cool.

[@themajordudes8194]

@@TheGeekPub do you know which games all have cocktail support?

[@Bob3519]

Hi Mike, Are you planning an open house for the new Studio/Shop? How is the Computer Display/Museum going? It looks like the location of the Shop is almost midpoint between you and David. The t-trim and filler primer really make the build look great. Thanks for sharing.

[@TheGeekPub]

Follow us on social media. We do meet-up there from time to time. Last month we hosted the DFW Retro Meetup.

[@BlueJayBonsai]

Wow, that is so cool! You did an amazing job. The Geek Pub colors really look good on a retro arcade table. 👍

[@lukasz87p]

Siemasz. Piękna robota. Pozdrawiam z Polski 👊

[@HAGSLAB]

Very nice build! Enjoyed watching that :)

[@santiagoureta7602]

I don't realised I need it until now

[@ricardocau181]

Parabéns, ficou lindo!

[@evocre8r]

Awesome project as always. Thanks for your hard work and educating us on these arcade builds.

[@wild-radio7373]

Absolutely fantastic ❤ this is exactly what I wanted!

[@dangergunner2788]

If you blunt the tip o a brad nail it will not split the MDF. Just take a brad and invert it so the head is down. Tap the pointed end with a hammer; just one tap. That is it. No more splitting the 1/2" MDF.

[@arbutuswatcher]

Now that brings me back to my childhood. Well done! Did the original cocktail cabinets have in-direct lighting of the joystick area? I wonder if some RGB LED strip lights, with a diffuser, could lend themselves to this aspect? Either way it looks great! :)

[@TheGeekPub]

There will def be a part two of this video. I have MANY things I want to do I didn't have time for in this video. RGB lighting is one of them. I also want to snug the monitor up closer to the glass.

[@rra022001]

@@TheGeekPubHow much more difficult would it be to utilize older lightly used CRTs from the 90s and 80s , in order to get that arcade look, feel..and smell, vs using modern LED ?

[@marc6340]

So cool! Um...T-molding around the monitor opening? To make it look cleaner? Just a thought...

[@auto117666]

This is such a nice build! Are there any modifications you would make if you had to do it again?

[@TheGeekPub]

Yes. I plan to do a follow up video on that. One is to move the screen closer to the glass.

[@odysseychevy]

Great build! Do you have an updated link for the 4:3 monitor or an equivalent? The current link is dead. Thanks!

[@zacharydoering313]

When I first started listening to the narration I thought it was the 8-bit guy, I was like…is this his brother? Then I realized at the end when he was there Yep….you must be brothers.

[@toms2oo8]

That T-molding (not sure I got that right, but the trim) would be cool if you could use LED strips or the likes for it + some sort of diffuser plastic.

[@TheGeekPub]

They actually make that!

[@kntwing23]

i think side panel should have some street figthter art works around the arcade?

[@sa3270]

Thinking how much more authentic it would look with a CRT.

[@SantaDragon]

Nice table. But how does the monitor direction always switch between players? A software section would be great as well.

[@TheGeekPub]

We already have several videos on that topic.

[@-B.H.]

Looks like a fun project. But I do think the speakers need some work. Seems like the holes were drilled out after painting the cabinet?

[@TheGeekPub]

Yep. That will be fixed.

[@saeklin]

I wonder if you can configure the display to render a flipped top/bottom split screen for some games, so that two players can play together, each seeing the same duplicated screen. Perhaps a special button could swap the screen layout using a macro or something. Awesome build nonetheless and I wish I had one.

[@TheGeekPub]

It's all in the game software, and some games are designed to do things just like that.

[@hernangundam]

You gotta make a handheld for the raspberry pi, I made a portable one for 2 players using a tool box and a kitchen knife to cut the box lol .. I wish I could post photos here so I can share it

[@mklptrk]

Understood that MDF is the best material for this, but just curious - are there alternatives/other wood options for this?

[@PhantasmPiper]

Now my question is what if you wanted to make it bigger and able to hold four players? Using it as say a every day table for lunches and dinners? Would you just have to double everything?

[@wild-radio7373]

That would be a cool project :) ♡

[@IverGameplays]

N O I I C E ! ! 👍🏼👍🏼

[@danielpauley1138]

Nice, but would add a coin bucket with brackets to hold bucket in place if using a functioning coin door with actual coin insertion. Otherwise you will end up with coins all over the floor inside the cabinet and have to manually pick all of them up each time you clean the inside of the cabinet.

[@TheGeekPub]

Future video.

[@sawmilldan]

i love the way you simplified the plans, but i want to use my cnc to make mine, paper plans wont work. do you have a pdf ? dxf ?

[@justinnamilee]

I spy a Robinson bit, must be Canadian. x)

[@justinnamilee]

(though the guests in this episode probably mean I'm wrong, haha)

[@TheOneTrueSpLiT]

I really wished I paid attention in woodwork classes now.

[@rionjames]

Did you have to add speakers or does the monitor have sound. Also did you add a volume switch?

[@wcs39204]

Can you link to the coin door you used? I don't see it in the parts list on my membership page. Thanks!

[@mixzone2309]

Except the glass, all is perfect !

[@JohnEricBooth]

Excellent!

[@trans_beauty89]

That's awesome!! Any idea in particular why arcade machines are made out of MDF? Would plywood be that much heavier? Obviously I can imagine solid wood being heavier, but if we're going with composites, I'd pick plywood over MDF any day. Just my thoughts. Very nice work! :)

[@TheGeekPub]

Plywood would actually be lighter. But plywood is much more difficult to get a smooth paint finish on. You have to fill the woodgrain. It's much easier to sand and shape rounded corners without needing fillers or resins. The other reason is that plywood is very prone to chip out on the edges making t-molding more difficult. Plywood also offers no additional strength in this application. Lastly, the extra weight is actually advantageous for this type of thing. They stay put when kids are banging on them. Simply put, MDF is just a better choice of material for arcades.

[@adamkavanagh1755]

Another great arcade build Mike. I used your plans to make a full size Arcade cab a while back and it’s still going strong. Really thinking bout making this one also. Jus a quick question have you tried many other multiplayer games on this jus curious how it works with the screen orientation being the way it is might be difficult to play a game like street fighter for example.

[@jonathanrodriguez8219]

Nice!l Nice!! Nice!! 😊

[@PearceYT]

Great build, looks so fun. But the electrician in me for some reason is perplexed how the saying and labelling of 110/220 in North America is so dominant when it has been 120/240 in almost all areas since the end of the second world war.

[@n.h.s.a.d.m.]

Sadly can't find the glass top replacement for the atari-style cocktail cabinets or the metal retention clips on amazon.

[@TheGeekPub]

Yep. That's the way to go. Every time I order mail order glass its busted. I found a local glass shop. Told them what I wanted and they made it within 2 days very affordably.

[@stevesmall3945]

@@TheGeekPub Did you bother with tempered glass for the top?

[@theempire188]

Do you have a list of the things you would need for a 4 player cocktail arcade table?

[@TheGeekPub]

Of course! Follow the links in the description.

[@Cherijo78]

Question: That's a 19" LCD you said, right? Is it a 4:3 proper or is it a 5:4 SXGA? I'm having lots of trouble finding proper 4:3 LCDs that are larger than 15" because the used market is so flooded with old 19: 5:4 SXGA monitors! I'm in the Seattle market, and it just seems like a never ending sea of 5:4. Does it matter really in your experience?

[@iRiccardoArpino]

Absolutely LOVING the Big Bang Theory shirt! ❤️

[@moritzathms8185]

I'm building a Cocktail table out of Walnut. (It's the only way my wife would let me put one in our front room. Just about done and glass its on its way. Question- where did you get the corner brackets you used to secure the glass to the table?

[@TheGeekPub]

The ones we sell in our store. ;-)